Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[Shadowferal]

Hmm...curious;

[Mayhem]

Using a hospital for military purposes and bombing the hospital when its used for military purposes are not both bad but difference in grade, there is no difference in morality like Endus is implying. If anything, you are allowed to bomb hospitals when they are used for military purposes. Using the hospital for military purposes is the worse action bc you are dragging a protected party into the conflict.

Uhu, sure, sure, makes sense. Killing someone less bad than endangering someone, everyone knows that, I mean it's logical.

Shame on you @Endus

[Sunseeker]

Uhu, sure, sure, makes sense. Killing someone less bad than endangering someone, everyone knows that, I mean it's logical.

Shame on you @Endus

Apparently "dragging a protected party into conflict" is worse than "blowing up a protected party unwillingly dragged into a conflict".

Who knew that between taking hostages and killing hostages, killing them was the moral good?

Well, Israel I guess.

[Edge-]

https://www.npr.org/2025/06/10/nx-s1...mp-sajet-bunch

The Smithsonian Institution has released its first statement since President Trump announced on social media that he had fired one of its museum directors.

The statement affirms the institution as an "independent entity" that will continue to be governed by a Board of Regents, or board of trustees, and managed by Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch.

While the statement does not specifically address President Trump's recent claim that he fired National Portrait Gallery Director Kim Sajet, it is unequivocal about who is in charge of Smithsonian employees: "All personnel decisions are made by and subject to the direction of the Secretary, with oversight by the Board. Lonnie G. Bunch, the secretary, has the support of the Board of Regents in his authority and management of the Smithsonian."

Smithsonian finally responds to Donald to remind him they're independent and he can go pound rocks.

Donald's about to be big mad that yet another attempted gross overreach of his power and authority is being rejected and ignored by people with a spine.

[Moralgy]

Hmm...curious;

Will he make it 4 years or is he gonna be issuing EOs from his death bed.

[Edge-]

Will he make it 4 years or is he gonna be issuing EOs from his death bed.

keep an eye out for an earpiece

[LeGin v4]

People who think the military will be the bastion against fascism kills me. Also Libs who still dry hump the military is another.

If that’s aimed at me you need to reread my post. I wrote “I hope” not “I think”.

No room for any positivity on this front? Zero dissenting voices? Or dissenting voices are sat on like whatshername in Greenland?

Genuine question

[Edge-]

https://apnews.com/article/pentagon-...74e4c717057469

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was met with sharp questions and criticism Tuesday by lawmakers who demanded details on his move to deploy troops to Los Angeles, and they expressed bipartisan frustration that Congress has not yet gotten a full defense budget from the Trump administration.

Secretary Alcoholic showed up to get chewed to because, much like other departments, his hasn't bothered to submit a full budget yet.

After persistent questioning about the cost of sending National Guard members and Marines to Los Angeles in response to protests over immigration raids, Hegseth turned to his acting comptroller, Bryn Woollacott MacDonnell, who said it would cost $134 million. Hegseth defended Trump’s decision to send the troops, saying they are needed to protect federal agents as they do their jobs.

yowza, that's an expensive PR stunt that nobody in California wants or needs. But donald really needs.

And he suggested that the use of troops inside the United States will continue to expand.

“I think we’re entering another phase, especially under President Trump with his focus on the homeland, where the National Guard and Reserves become a critical component of how we secure that homeland,” he said.

MARTIAL LAW, BABY, DEPLOYING US MILITARY ON US SOIL BABY. YEAH BOI

it's wild that republicans continue to be doing everything they cried democrats would do

Spending issues that have raised questions in recent weeks include plans to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on security upgrades to turn a Qatari jet into Air Force One and to pour as much as $45 million into a parade recently added to the Army’s 250th birthday bash, which coincides with Trump’s birthday Saturday.

More pointless, wasteful spending by Donald and republicans.

Hegseth said the strikes caught the U.S. off guard and represented significant advances in drone warfare. The attack has the Pentagon rethinking drone defenses “so we are not vulnerable to a threat and an attack like that,” he said, adding that the department is learning from Ukraine and is focused on how to better defend its own military airfields.

He acknowledged, however, that funding for Ukraine military assistance, which has been robust for the past two years, will be reduced in the upcoming defense budget. That cut means that Kyiv will receive fewer of the weapons systems that have been key to countering Russia’s onslaught.

“This administration takes a very different view of that conflict,” he said. “We believe that a negotiated peaceful settlement is in the best interest of both parties and our nation’s interests.”

good luck asking Ukraine to teach us about modern drone warfare as we turn off aide

The panel zeroed in on funding issues, with only a few mentions of the other entanglements of Hegseth’s early months. They touched only briefly on his moves to fire military leaders and purge diversity programs. And there was no discussion of his use of the Signal messaging app to discuss operational details of strikes in Yemen.

it's astounding how quickly

"senior government and military officials are discussing classified information on a forbidden, hacked third party civilian app designed to delete messages. and are also adding civilians and family member and members of the press to these secret chats" disappeared

like, that's a bigger scandal than anything under any democrat this millenium and it just...faded away with nothing.

Hegseth has spent vast amounts of time promoting the social changes he’s making at the Pentagon. He’s been far less visible in the administration’s more critical international security crises and negotiations involving Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza and Iran.

i mean this does check out

he is a TV host who has never had an actual job where he's had to work in his life.

He was on the international stage about a week ago, addressing a national security conference in Asia about threats from China. But a trip to NATO headquarters last week was quick and quiet, and he deliberately skipped a gathering of about 50 allies and partners where they discussed support for Ukraine.

america continues to recede from global leadership under donald and republicans.

- - - Updated - - -

https://www.commondreams.org/philadelphia-immigration

"This is what people have feared."

That was how American Immigration Council senior fellow Aaron Reichlin-Melnick responded on social media Monday to reporting that a man impersonating a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent zip-tied a woman working as a cashier at a cash-only auto repair shop in Philadelphia and stole around $1,000 on Sunday afternoon.

The incident comes as Republican U.S. President Donald Trump tries to deliver on his campaign promise of mass deportations, sparking protests, including in Los Angeles, where Trump has deployed Marines and federalized the California National Guard—a move the state's Democratic governor and attorney general are challenging in court.

"He kept saying he is immigration officer," the 50-year-old cashier in Philadelphia, a legal U.S. resident who is from the Dominican Republic, toldFox 29's Steve Keeley. Showing the journalist her bruises, she said that the man tied her arms behind her back, and "every time I tried to turn around to look at his face, he twisted me around roughly."

Although the shop is next to the Philadelphia Police 15th District, it took over two hours before the victim could connect with law enforcement. Police said in a Tuesday statement that the man, who escaped in a white Ford cargo van with red dashes around the middle, remains at large.

Police released surveillance photos of the van and the man, described as a white male in a "black baseball cap with U.S. flag on the front, black sunglasses, black long sleeve shirt, wearing gloves, black tactical vest with 'Security Enforcement Agent,' and dark green cargo pants."

as expected, actul criminals are impersonating ICE to kidnap/rob people.

This is why announcing who they are, not covering their faces, and not disappearing people into unmarked vans is important. Because peope will start fighting back violently because they have no way of knowing if they are actual federal authorities or just some asshole with a mask.

[Poopymonster]

Will he make it 4 years or is he gonna be issuing EOs from his death bed.

His cuntists, er, cultists will claim it's his bigly, yuge, massive, inordinately oversized, girthy dick.

[Bwgmon]

keep an eye out for an earpiece

If he starts wearing one, it'll be very funny if someone figures out how to hijack whatever frequency it's tuned to.

[Milchshake]

Awww look who learned what 86 means....
The feigned outrage as always is cynical and calculating. Buncha CRYbullies that want to game the refs.



And it works, the refs want to be worked. Desperate for approval from their frwends at FOX.

[SAY HER NAME]

Gavin Newsom speech is going hard.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0n77NFjDlBI

[gondrin]

So, here it is. The actual moment that Trump goes from wanna dictator to the literal American Nazi Leader that is going to use military might against perceived enemies. So if you are anyone that isn't MAGA, you will be detained and removed. It is literal full mask off now. MAGA supporters, you voted for this.

This is from his speech at Fort Bragg today. The article is about Newsom's lawsuit about the NG being used but there is a telling part of Trump's speech that was put in the article.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/ju...2b99468e0&ei=9

In a speech at Fort Bragg in North Carolina on Tuesday, President Trump called protesters "animals" and "a foreign enemy," promising to repel what he characterized as an invasion.

"We will not allow an American city to be invaded and conquered by a foreign enemy. That’s what they are," President Trump said. "We will liberate Los Angeles and make it free, clean, and safe again."

Remember, these are AMERICAN CITIZENS born here or were naturalized and are full out citizens. They are now being declared a foreign enemy and animals. This is the exact same language Hitler used to describe the Communists and any other political party that was not the National Socialist Party, Jewish people, Trade Unionists, Socialists and others.

You voted for Nazism. That is what you are. And every time you post here, that is what you will be called. It is your scarlet letter.

Everyone else, better get armed because here soon, he will more than likely direct the military or his not-so-secret police to go door to door demanding to search your house and your things.

[Xath]

Apparently "dragging a protected party into conflict" is worse than "blowing up a protected party unwillingly dragged into a conflict".

Who knew that between taking hostages and killing hostages, killing them was the moral good?

Well, Israel I guess.

So just so we are clear Israel is supposed to allow them to just send missiles over and over from the same location? Because that's what they do when there aren't retaliatory strikes. Not saying Israel is in the right but Hamas is absolutely unequivocally the worse actors here. They have tried not retaliatory striking when they do that Hamas starts sending from the same locations over and over.

[Odinfrost]

So just so we are clear Israel is supposed to allow them to just send missiles over and over from the same location? Because that's what they do when there aren't retaliatory strikes. Not saying Israel is in the right but Hamas is absolutely unequivocally the worse actors here. They have tried not retaliatory striking when they do that Hamas starts sending from the same locations over and over.

You do know there is a middleground between "not doing anything" and "bombing the crap out of a hospital", right?
Just like there is a middleground between "not doing anything" and "oppress the people through military might". But right wingers love to go to the extreme

[Xath]

You do know there is a middleground between "not doing anything" and "bombing the crap out of a hospital", right?
Just like there is a middleground between "not doing anything" and "oppress the people through military might". But right wingers love to go to the extreme

What's the middle ground? I am honestly asking here because you don't take out the site they will continue to use it. Hamas is the one causing these civilian deaths.

On topic Newsom actually went super hard I would prefer some more personalization of the attacks that trump is making rather than referring to the death of democracy because if the idiots were able to understand that they would never have voted for trump but he is one of the few people actually standing up against the bastard. Made some definite misteps with the podcast right after the election with the trying to reach across the aisle bullshit but seems to have pulled his head out of his butt since then.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0n77NFjDlBI

[DarkTZeratul]

You do know there is a middleground between "not doing anything" and "bombing the crap out of a hospital", right?
Just like there is a middleground between "not doing anything" and "oppress the people through military might". But right wingers love to go to the extreme

Gonna have to agree that while using human shields is certainly awful, intentionally shooting the human shields is probably worse. But yes, I've been saying for years that the Israeli government and Hamas both have a long and ongoing history of doing incredibly shitty things to each others' citizens. Equivocating on which one is worse is really pretty useless, though; they both suck, and fuck them both.

(It's also rather off-topic for this thread, so this'll be the only thing I say on the matter).

[SAY HER NAME]

The entire topic is off topic lol. Its weird.

But yeah the Newsom speech was really good. Also pointing out that Trump and the GOP dont care about insurrections as they literally lead the insurrection of Jan 6 is necessary. The GOP has no principles and everything you do even if its the most law compliant action ever wont be used as an excuse to retaliate and escalate the authoritarianism.

[Sunseeker]

So just so we are clear Israel is supposed to allow them to just send missiles over and over from the same location? Because that's what they do when there aren't retaliatory strikes. Not saying Israel is in the right but Hamas is absolutely unequivocally the worse actors here. They have tried not retaliatory striking when they do that Hamas starts sending from the same locations over and over.

Mossad and the IDF have dsmonstrated for decades that they are exceptionally capable of eliminating hard to reach targets without carpet bombing.

I suspect those skills would serve them well in solvong these problems.

[alach]

What's the middle ground? I am honestly asking here because you don't take out the site they will continue to use it. Hamas is the one causing these civilian deaths.

On topic Newsom actually went super hard I would prefer some more personalization of the attacks that trump is making rather than referring to the death of democracy because if the idiots were able to understand that they would never have voted for trump but he is one of the few people actually standing up against the bastard. Made some definite misteps with the podcast right after the election with the trying to reach across the aisle bullshit but seems to have pulled his head out of his butt since then.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0n77NFjDlBI

Yeah, it was nice to watch that. Messenging has always been a problem for the left, its good he got out to do this. He looks presidential eh? He might be practicing.
Now, would be great to see half-a-dozen more prominent liberals do the same and stand up to trump, and stop relying on Seth Meyers and Rachel Maddow to do it for them.